?ridiculitis?

and a couple more

2009-08-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

Photo update!

2009-08-09T14:42:00.001-07:00

Man.. my kids are cute..

2009-07-01T09:49:00.001-07:00

Umm, how cute are these!!

2009-06-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

& the brand is called See Kai Run - perfect! There are tons of adorable shoes... check them out.

Fun times

2009-06-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

So, having two is pretty awesome. After those first four weeks of help with Kai, being able to heal, rest and care for Claire I was ready to go and things have only gotten better since. Kai is still learning the word "gentle" and he certainly can't be left alone with Claire for a second, but he seems to be handling the shared attention ok. Not great, but ok. For instance today, I was feeding Claire on the couch in the area we have set up as his play room and he just couldn't be close enough, couldn't touch her enough and was desperate for my attention for those 15 minutes.. Then, after feeding her, I put her in the bouncy seat, turned around to put something on the counter, turned back and he was lifting the bouncy seat off the ground by its bottom support - a few inches higher and she would've slid right out onto the floor! Ahhh!
But, all in all, things are going great and we love having 2 kids!

Well HELLO there!

2009-05-20T16:34:00.001-07:00

It has been a long time since I posted, but don't get too excited, this is going to be short and sweet.. Claire is doing great, approaching 11#s already (!) and currently dangling in front of me in the carrier..not very happily..thus the short post..
Just wanted to get a really cute video up and maybe a few photos if I'm lucky..
love to all, be back soon..

More pictures

2009-04-16T14:57:00.001-07:00

Introducing Claire Elizabeth Bubar!

2009-04-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

Born Monday, April 13th @ 11:46am
Everyone is doing fine, Mom and Claire will be home tomorrow, and are resting well.
No complications, Gin did amazing and I'm sure she will on here in the coming days to give a proper post and update.
Thanks for all the prayers!
She's a beauty!!!
Enjoy the pictures, more to come later....

We're excited!

2009-04-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I am pretty sure my water broke this afternoon, but not a gush, just a trickle.. and I am not really having what I expect contractions to feel like, so it may still be a day or so until anything eventful! Hopefully we will get a good amount of sleep tonight and be able to head in tomorrow morning or afternoon.. Sleep.. really?? My Little Girl is Coming!!!
So far though, I couldn't ask for any more of a perfect situation.. My Mom arrives tomorrow afternoon, my friend who is a doula is available tomorrow to help me (& Ben) through this adventure & it is Easter.. Perfect!
Keep us in your prayers!

I wish

2009-04-10T12:09:00.001-07:00

I really wish I had news to share! But, all I can say is that I am one day past due date and now I waddle. Yup... I'm a pregnant waddler..

Stats

2009-04-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

As of today's appointment..
39 weeks
Gained 33 pounds (!)
LG has dropped and seems to be in the right direction (her back against my front)
everything normal and aok.. just waiting for her now :)

New Dresser

2009-04-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

This is Kai's dresser that Ben just finished. A neighbor so kindly donated it to us and we thought we would have some fun with it. I think it turned out awesome & am so glad I have a handy hubby who happens to love color! :)

I am dying to get LG's room set up, but have to wait at least until this summer.. I don't want to have 2 cribs and for now Kai is still content to be in one - I'm counting my blessings every morning! All the nursery furniture is white, which will be sooo cute with the bedding we got for her, but for now, she'll just be in our room in a pack-n-play until I can't take it anymore :)

8 Days out..

2009-04-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

I am still feeling pretty good, but definitely b-i-g and sluggish. Kai is just so much fun and adorable these days and I feel badly that am having a hard time getting on the floor to play.. actually it is the getting up part that I struggle with and the moving around actively once I am down.. I just want to lay down and watch him, but that isn't quite enough for our little 19mo old :)

I took him to the play area at the mall today so he could run around and the Easter bunny happen to take a stroll through all the kids while we were there. It was his first time ever seeing a large costumed character, he was curious enough to follow and look, but stayed a few feet away and just watched while other kids hugged and high fived the giant bunny. No crying though and after 2 minutes he wasn't interested anymore - the slide is much more his style.

Last night I packed my bag for the hospital and made a list for Ben of all the last minute things I think I'll need. We are still struggling on the name, but otherwise, I think both of us are ready for little girl to make her appearance. I am finally getting to that point, the get!this!baby!out! point.. I do think I will make it until my due date & am hoping for the 12 or 13th so my Mom can be here, but don't really want to go much beyond that :) I am already feeling like she may be too big for me to push out - HA!

37 Weeks

2009-03-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

WoW! I can't believe we will be meeting our little girl REALLY soon! :) It still feels surreal and when I think about these last few weeks compared to those before we left to meet Kai, I am soo calm this time around.. Last year I was totally anxious, still trying to get the travel dates nailed down, make sure all the paperwork was perfect, making sure I packed all I needed for a new baby, a first baby, a baby who already existed and I had no idea what size he wore or worse - if he would smile at us.. Yearning like crazy to finally get to him, the baby we had waited for seemingly For-E-Vah to make this couple into a family! AHHH! Compared to that.. 9 months is a breeze! :) and now my only source of anxiety is thinking about the delivery.. I am actually a little bit excited to be able to experience it, a lot nervous about the pain (like a train going through your body?? really?), and totally at peace about how life will change when she comes home. Do I have the right size diapers? no. Do I have pj's, nope, Do I have nipple cream? not yet.. But, that's ok, b/c I have a car seat to get her home (thanks Mom & Dad!) an awesome hubby who will run to the store, a mom & good friends who are coming to help... and I'm sure Kai will loan his little sister anything she needs.. little Sister! That is the part we are really excited about.. A Girl.. all she really needs in those first few weeks is us.. and we will be here every moment.

Belly Photos coming soon.. Thanks to Heather

Morning Wake Up Call

2009-03-18T06:44:00.000-07:00

Spooning

2009-03-01T16:13:00.000-08:00

My little Swifferer

2009-02-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

Blah

2009-02-17T08:30:00.001-08:00

I have felt completely awful for the last few weeks with the worst "cold" of my life. Now that I am finally getting over the hump and heading down the backside I can focus on something other than just trying to get through the day without calling Ben again, crying my eyes out :) Love you sweetie...

I took on my first Ebay endeavor and boy was that a disaster.. I think in the end I came out ahead only because I was able to sell one of the items through Craigslist, avoid shipping and actually got a decent price. I learned that I am a horrible shipping estimator (even with the tools they give you!) and that the fees for everything add up so quickly! Listing fees, insertion fees, selling fees, Paypal fees and when everything didn't sell the first time I listed them, I had to list them all over again. I am definitely missing something, or just too short on patience to wait for the right price. I know I got a great price on the buy side.. I just sold to cheap! Anyone had success on Ebay?

Random Updates

2009-02-08T13:22:00.000-08:00

Kai: We have the most adorable kid.. He is just becoming such an enjoyable little boy.. into everything he isn't supposed to be, of course, but happy, fun and so cute! He is climbing up and down everything he can, eating all things edible and in love with Daddy - definitely his favorite person.. mine too though, I really can't blame him :)

Ben: Cut off his hair.. & is the only one in the family who hasn't come down with this horrible 2 week cold that is going around.. he had to take 1/2 a sick day to take care of Kai b/c I was so out of it one day last week.. thanks sweetie.. love you..

Preschool: Thanks so much to each who gave of their preschool wisdom.. I took the tour last week and decided that Kai belongs in the younger of the 2 classes. The level of play was completely different and I feel confident I made the right choice, so thanks for all your input & encouragement! I think he is going to have a great time a few mornings a week next fall.

Gold Party: My little gold party was a fun time and I have in my hands a check for AHope for $50+! Yippee! I love when you can have fun and make money for charity at the same time :)

Pregnancy: Went to the Dr. last week, everything is still looking aok.. Little girl is growing steadily and I am now at 31 weeks.. can't believe how quickly this is all going! We are still working on names and just today decided what direction to head in for the nursery - I'm pretty excited about it and so thankful that I have a creative hardworking and more than willing hubby! He mixed his own paint color for the walls today from leftovers we had in the garage - haha - hopefully it will be a perfect pink when done. We are planning on keeping LG in our room in a bassinet for the first several months and Kai in the crib, then we will move him to a toddler bed and she will inherit his furniture.. so, her room won't actually be put together for a while, but it will be nice to get the painting done and have a space that feels like a LG is coming home soon :) The bedding was decided by default since I bought several sets to try to sell on Ebay about a month ago and still have some left, good thing I really like all of them. :) This is a stock pic, but you get the idea..

I'm having a Gold Party!

2009-02-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

Have you been to one of these yet?? I am so not into home parties and have never offered to host one before, but I went to a Gold Party a few weeks ago and it was awesome! Basically, a rep from a company comes to the host house and buys gold off of people who want to sell. No pressure, no buying anything, just food, drinks and making money - the perfect party!

The best part is company that I am hosting for gives a percentage of the proceeds to any charity I want, so my party is benefiting AHope.

If you want to come, it is this Thursday, 7pm - contact me for directions! Funfun!

2009-02-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

Still want advice (see next post) but need to say..

2009-01-30T12:07:00.000-08:00

I just had the best grapefruit ever...Like ever - In.My.Life. and I'm from FL.. the citrus state.. It was THAT good.. Those of you that live in the NMetro should seriously consider buying your produce from this CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

Fellow Moms.. Advice needed..

2009-01-30T06:42:00.000-08:00

So here it is: I am enrolling Kai in preschool for the first time next fall and I am not quite sure what to do.. His birthday is Aug 31, so he officially will be 2, the cut-off date is Sept 1, which would put him in the 2-3 year old class next year.. The school is super helpful and will let me enroll him in either this class or the younger, which would be kids from about 19-23 months old which would make him the oldest in the class by a month or so over the other kids.. instead of almost a year younger..

My reasons for wanting to put him in the younger class: He is still tiny.. It's his first year (he does great in the Church nursery and my Moms group nursery).. He didn't start walking until 16months.. I am afraid the older kids will just totally run him over..

Reasons for wanting to put him in the older class: He would probably learn a lot more.. I'm sure he would be fine, I'm probably just being ridiculous.. I'm sure he won't be the only kid in this situation.. & the kicker - I could enroll him for 3 days a week instead of just 2..

I should also mention that if I do not hold him back now, I will probably do it before Kindergarten, they offer "young 5's" classes around here or 2nd yr Pre-K, just for this situation.. Just not sure if I should do it now, or then..

advice??

29 Weeks

2009-01-26T19:03:00.000-08:00

I am still feeling good, great even. I am not sure if I have already said this, but during this pregnancy, I have felt more "normal" than I have in years. My hormones seem to actually be in balance during this process, no real mood swings (ok, maybe occasionally..), fairly rational thinking, a reasonable amount of chutzpah and not quite as much anxiety as I usually feel.

Physically, as of 3 weeks ago I was up 22lbs (!).. I can only really wear maternity pants, am in size L underwear and have had to buy all new bras and shirts.. my tops stopped covering the belly a while ago - especially since I am so long waisted anyway! I don't really have any food aversions or cravings at this point, and have only recently begun to feel tired again in the afternoons, welcome 3rd trimester. The Braxton Hicks have come on with gusto in the recent weeks and some times they are so strong & uncomfortable I have to stop what I am doing and sit down and just breathe. Not exactly painful, just incredibly uncomfortable.

Since the weeks are flying by, I am starting to feel the pressure to actually try to get some things done before baby girl arrives. Ben has his honey-do list and I have my own.. hopefully half of them will get done :) One of them is to finally decide on a name for little girl - it is proving really difficult this time! Malakai was a definite stand out for both of us, and now we are just taking our time and it is starting to drive me crazy. Hopefully something will start shining before long, or she will have to be named Talitha "little girl" by default :)

Wow - how much time has past??

2009-01-26T18:43:00.001-08:00

Ok, really.. I can't believe it has been weeks since I last posted.. This month has flown by and things have been a little different around our house on a daily basis. As the year started, Ben & I have been trying to focus on what we want to see change this year in our lives. How we will handle the uncontrollables, and how we want to try to influence change have been heavily on both of our minds.. so, I've been a little distracted :)
Our church always starts the year out with a month long fast and for us this year, it felt very right for us to participate on the level God impressed on us individually. I completely cut TV for the last 3 weeks, save for a few movies with hubby (have you seen Slum Dog Millionaire yet? good flick).. we modified our diets and tried to get back to focusing more on daily conversation with God.. we had realized that somehow we both just started forgetting to talk to Him..and we both want to change our lack of focus and discipline. Still, no matter how badly I want to start my day with a more spiritual slant, no matter how sure I am at night when I lay my head on the pillow that I will spring out of bed in the morning.. I have found it to be incredibly difficult. My heart wants to, but my body and self usually fight harder and I have been very dissapointed in my lack of discipline and fortitude.. Thank God for grace.. and for knowing that He really will talk to me at any time.. not just in the morning :)

Just in time for Christmas

2009-01-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

Kai started walking :) Here is a little video from today, sorry it's a bit dark..
I will post Christmas pics soon!

OH He's SOO close!

2008-12-18T12:01:00.000-08:00

I think by Christmas he'll be walking more than crawling.. Yesterday was a big walking day, but today I haven't been able to catch him much yet.. ?Christina, how do you do those fabulous little montage videos?

23 Weeks

2008-12-12T14:45:00.000-08:00

I am over half way through this pregnancy and I can't believe how blessed I have been in the "feeling good" dept! I am still ok energy wise, although I am sure that will change once tri-3 comes, and I have had no food issues, nothing difficult at all thus far.. in my body at least.. my head, well, that is another story.. :)

Baby Girl is about the size of a mango now, just over a pound and about 11 inches long.. She can feel my movements, so dancing with Kai is now dancing for the three of us :) and since she can hear noises clearly she knows about Norman (the treasured pooch) and his barks of play & excitement, she hears Kai's cries and the Christmas music constantly on these days.. The best part is that I definitely feel her moving around & I get to experience my own special time with her already. Each night when I climb into bed I lay on my back, hands on the belly and wait... I just focus on sending her love & usually after just a few minutes she signals.. and then again and again. It is something I am so honored to experience.. a little alien, yes, but still, honored just the same.. I feel like God has given me everything I've ever wanted already.. and I still have yet to meet her.. and I can't wait for a few years from now to meet our little person who has (most likely) yet to be conceived in Et.. Ben & I both know there is still one more person coming into our family through adoption.. and we think about Ethiopia every day.. we can't help it..

I forgot about the Poker

2008-12-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

Every year my family has an annual Poker Tournament.. We play Texas Hold'em and usually we each wager a bottle of wine, but now that the 9 year old is playing for keeps too, we switched it up a little this time.. some wine, some cash.. some of us didn't get the memo the little one was playing :)

And this year.. my Hubby won.. He is now the reining champ in his fantasy football league 2 years running (will this be #3??) and the family Poker champ.. his head is getting a little big for his hat.. but he deserves it - he's a great player, an even better competitor and the best baby daddy in the south. I love you sweetie!

So much to say...

2008-12-03T09:56:00.000-08:00

I have had so many different thoughts in my head over the last few weeks of what to post on (Kai, Ben, pregnancy, Baby Girl..) that I have just been avoiding it completely.. Videos of our adorable son are so much easier and seem to make the grandparents happy! :) I totally skipped over Thanksgiving and since it is my favorite holiday, I have to revisit.. So, today, on my blog, is Thanksgiving...

I look forward to this holiday so much, for all the same reasons everyone else does.. Family, time, food, gratitude and NO presents.. no pressure, expectation, disappointment, it's the perfect holiday! Ben & I alternate between our families each year and this time was with my side.. My older brother & family live 2 miles away, parents drove up from FL, the little brother flew in from Germany and he also brought his lady of interest from Canada, who we were all so excited to meet and whom he hadn't seen for years.. It was wonderful to have her here with us. We all haven't been together since Christmas last year and having my brother sooo far away is tough on everyone... not that we saw him much more when he was in the states, lets be honest, but it just feels so.much.further.

Anyway, I only REALLY lost it once, and I actually think that is pretty good for a pregnant lady with a 15 mo. old trying to cook a full dinner for 9, alone (T-giving eve meal). My dad & 9yr old niece came to my rescue after my tearful call to my brother's pleading for help.. Dad got to work chopping and Kalli was all about playing with Kai - thank goodness for them, or not only would I have cut myself on the food processor blade and the 8" chef's knife on accident, I may have considered doing it on purpose just to have my legs to myself in the emergency room! Seriously, I was at that point when I called - I love my son dearly, but sometimes the clinging/crying has just Got To Stop! :) Dinner was awesome and I didn't have much work after that, just desserts for Turkey day and that was a fun group effort with the Lil'bro and Lady friend. We ate, chatted, laughed, they drank, and we all bowled (I got a 111! sweet!) and Mom & Dad spoiled Ben & I with the gift of babysitting for a few hours so we could go to the movies!! Ahh... when was the last time we went to the movies?? Neither of us could remember it has.been.so.long.. And Laura, sorry to disappoint, but we didn't see Twilight (I still need to read the book).. but we did see Australia and I was lost in it for all 2.75hrs.. Loved it. and I would have to say, Hugh is definitely yummier than your Edward Cullen character :)

We're so excited!

2008-12-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

Hilarious

2008-11-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

Our little guy has figured out that once he makes me laugh, he can keep me laughing by repeating himself over and over and over....

Now we can't get him to stop:

Referral Anniversary Day

2008-11-19T12:49:00.001-08:00

Oh, my little sunshine, I can't believe we found out about you an entire year ago.. We felt like we were waiting for-e-vah for you, to see your little face, to count your fingers and toes.. to finally have the hope of holding you. I am crying now thinking about the phone call that changed our lives and all the emotions that came pouring out from it.. Elation (finally!), Fear (am I going to be any good at being a mom?), Anxiety, Hope, Excitement, Anticipation..etc etc.. and yet that all seems so long ago b/c now, you are here, you are our son and life just doesn't make sense without you. You have already taught me so much about myself (most of it not good mind you) and your father (all better than I had hoped for) and I just can't wait to continue to get to know your unique little personality behind that beautiful face.

I'm so glad you are here.. I am humbled by the gift of your life into ours.

I swear he did it by himself

2008-11-15T14:21:00.001-08:00

Well, for the last few days I have been trying to capture Kai taking a solo step.. He has done 2 in a row(!).. But he hasn't been willing to do it again at the precise moment that I actually have the camera ready.. So, here is a video that will have to do in the mean time :)

HE TOOK A STEP!!

2008-11-13T07:12:00.001-08:00

More later.. So exciting!!!

I don't care who you voted for

2008-11-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

This is monumental & I couldn't be prouder of the giant step forward our country just took.

The BEST voting day ever!

2008-11-04T16:57:00.001-08:00

Did you know about all of the free voter stuff today?? I didn't find out until late and didn't want to miss out, so after dinner we packed up the kiddo and headed out on a fun filled freeby seeking adventure! Hopefully this will become a family tradition b/c we had that much fun :)

First up we hit Starbucks for our free coffees, decaf please,

Then across the street to Krispy Kreme for yummy original glazed

Final stop was Ben & Jerry's for some Chocolate Therapy & Chocolate Peanut Butter

On the way home we had unfruitful trips through both Chick-fil-A and Shane's Ribs. But, by the time we hit Chick-fil-A, we (um, Ben mostly) were high on sugar and laughing at everything & nothing so it didn't matter at all that there were no more voter sandwiches :)

Love you sweetie, thanks for a great cheap date.

Can't wait till 2012!

Kai's first Halloween

2008-11-03T07:17:00.000-08:00

17 Weeks and Growing!

2008-10-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

Please excuse the hair & just concentrate on the belly, Thanks! I feel huge for only being 17 weeks along and as of a few weeks ago I had already gained 7lbs. My midwife said as long as I keep it to 10lbs by 20 weeks, I'm good... umm, I have serious doubts I'll make it. So far I have outgrown every single pair of pants, forget the looping the hair elastic, or even the belly band - not for this girl - the thighs have grown 3 pant sizes alone! I know, poor VA, now she has to wear a size 6, boo-hoo {world's smallest violin playing softly}..
Other than my ever expanding body, I feel great! Just funny things like my skin is super itchy and I gag every time I brush my teeth.. & for the last few weeks I have had the strangest craving for an Arby's roast beef sandwich with their special sauce.. but, I haven't given in b/c, well, even if I did eat meat, that is just gross! :)

Love to all and Happy Halloween!

Courtesy of Joshua Jackson

2008-10-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

I got this great email today from a friend who thinks he is really funny.. Turns out this is actually hilarious and I had to share. We love you Josh.. Everyone needs to get out there and vote - even if just to preserve your right to.

Awww, he's so darn cute!

2008-10-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Sweetie!!!

2008-10-22T05:55:00.001-07:00

Anniversary Weekend

2008-10-17T11:53:00.001-07:00

Happy 6th Anniversary to US!

To celebrate we took a trip up to an Apple Festival in North Georgia and stayed the night at a lodge in a state park. The weather was perfect, the company was perfect, the scenery perfect, the food - not so perfect... Ben ended up quite ill, we think from the sausage or I should say, the snausages b/c who knows what "meat" they really were. And, Kai is very much in a screaming at the top of his lungs when nothing is wrong stage, which makes it rather difficult to sit down to enjoy a meal anywhere other than our home or the outdoors. We got many looks, a few smiles and just tried to eat as quickly as we could while trying also to relax for a few minutes and take in the views. But, since I am eating as much as a horse lately, meals take a little while :)

I picked up a peck (really, a peck, it said so on the bag) of apples and a ton of tomatoes, so I am cooking up a storm today, looking forward to Grandma's Apple Pie :) Did you know that Whole Foods sells a non-hydrogenated shortening?? (btw - I just had to get up out of my seat to look in the cupboard b/c I couldn't remember the word "shortening"! What is happening to my brain??)

Finally - the Overdue Update

2008-10-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

Birthday Weekend

2008-09-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

Kai is now officially 1 year old!

Coveting...

2008-08-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know it is only August, but today made me think about Christmas. The JCrew Catalog arrived and though I can't afford to shop there now since I don't work there anymore (I worked holiday in 2005 & finally quit almost a year..) I am now dreaming of winter coats, and specifically this coat:
It is so tailored and feminine and beautiful snowy white.. BUT -Now that I am a Mom, can I wear a white coat??? I can picture it covered with snot and dirty handprints, can't you?

Cantaloupe

2008-08-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks Benny for the guest post, glad you chimed in here :) I know I have been a bit of a slacker lately, have much going on and will elaborate in the coming weeks.. For now you'll just have to believe me in that I have a great excuse. Here is a little ditty from today.. I think he gets cuter every second.

I'll eat that bottom lip for breakfast!

2008-08-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd hijack my wife's blog so I could post this photo.
I don't think she'll mind.....

enjoy!

Book Meme

2008-08-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Erin a few weeks back (apologies Erin!), so here goes! Where every she found this list it said that the average American has only read 6 of these.. Let's hope I'm above average - I've read the ones in bold, starred my favorites!

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien (I tried..this is a tough book!)
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling***********
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (The Complete knocks me out,have read many)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown*
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley*
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

So, 22, but Chronicles of Narnia and The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe are a double, so...
I can't believe I have read 0 Jane Austen, but I have seen the movies!

Standing tall

2008-08-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

Ben's latest work

2008-08-11T10:50:00.001-07:00

Famine

2008-08-05T11:54:00.001-07:00

So after reading this post today by Laura, I have been searching and searching for articles on the current food crisis and am having a bit of a hard time finding current information. This was one of the articles I did find. I was surprised to hear how bad it is in Ethiopia since we were just there a short 6 months ago! N. Korea's situation is becoming desperate, along with many other places in the world..

I also found excellent information on the World Food Programme's site, here is the article intro:

A wave of food-price inflation is moving across the globe, leaving in its wake drastically increased levels of hunger and poverty. The phenomenon is affecting everyone on the planet but the poor and hungry are on the front line, as are agencies like WFP that work to help them.

Please read, please help, please pray...

Our Crazy Crawler

2008-07-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

Continuation on the AHope theme..

2008-07-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

Just want to make sure everyone is aware:

What You Should Know About HIV/AIDS

-HIV can NOT be spread through casual/household contact. HIV is not spread through hugging, kissing, shaking hands, sharing toys, sneezing, coughing, sharing food, sharing drinks, bathing, swimming or any other casual way. It has been proven that HIV and AIDS can only be spread through sexual contact, birth, breastfeeding and blood to blood contact (such as sharing needles).
- HIV is now considered a chronic but manageable disease. With treatment, people who are HIV+ can live indefinitely without developing AIDS and can live long and full lives.
- People who are HIV+ deserve to be treated with love, respect, support and acceptance as all people do.
Additional information on transmission of HIV can be found on the Center for Disease Control website:
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources

{copied from http://abushel-and-apeck.blogspot.com}

AHope

2008-07-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

This organization is responsible for the orphanage we visited in Ethiopia that cares for HIV+ children, educating and ultimately trying to keep them with their families and in their communities. I posted a bit about the experience back in February, feel free to read back if you want, it was a very emotional visit for me. While we were there Ben helped to feed a l-i-t-t-l-e one, she was so frail and tiny, she looked liked she belonged in intensive care.. But, this is Ethiopia and she had HIV. We found out shortly after we returned home that she did indeed pass away, but she was loved in her last days.. The people here and the work they do are both amazing, they are worthy of and in need of help.

Today's Neighborhood Funny

2008-07-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

Just now, I was working on putting Kai down for the night. We were on the last few sips of his bottle when Norm starts barking excitedly and seconds later the doorbell rang. I put Kai in the crib, start down the stairs and can see 4 neighborhood kids through the glass. As I get closer I see one of them with a sign.. hmmm..

"Hi guys, whats up?"

The 9 year old group spokesperson says, "Hi! We have are selling a sofa, 50 bucks or best offer. It has to go by Wednesday."

I took a second look at the sign being held by the adorable redhead. It was a circular piece of cardboard attached to a hockey stick that said Sofa for Sale..

"Sorry guys, we don't need another sofa, but if I think of someone, I will let them know about it."

"Ok, but it has to go by Wednesday" said over the shoulder as the entourage starts turning around.. and she adds cheerfully, "Or best offer!" Then the boy in the group pipes up "Hey, lets go next door and check with Donovan, maybe he needs one!"

I chuckle as I head inside.. chuckle at their enthusiasm and determination and for the fact that Donovan is only 16 years old.. but hey, maybe he does need a full sized sofa in his room, you never know!

Malakai Update

2008-07-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

So, what is the little bugger up to lately? He is crawling like a champ and rarely topples backward anymore when he is sitting up by himself.. it's really kind of cute when he looses his balance while sitting.. He is very fast with his hands now to catch himself when he wobbles and he looks up and around like, wow - that was embarrassing, did anyone see that?

He still only has four teeth, but has started using them.. on the furniture.. wood tables mostly. He loves to bang things, laugh at everything and has started teasing the dog. I am enjoying this stage, his little personality is starting to come out and so far I really like him :)

But the best thing began just the other day and I wish I had a photo, I couldn't quite think straight when it first happened.. While eating his lunch of peas and something all of a sudden he figured out how to blow food out of his mouth.. straight at me.

I just love a good sale

2008-07-16T15:11:00.001-07:00

my New Mommy Top Ten

2008-07-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

In no particular order, the things I have come to love in recent months:

1. Kiwi Magazine - Love it! The tag line is "Growing families the natural and organic way" - just up my alley! Plus, the CEO/Publisher is also an adoptive Mom and her daughter has her own column in the Mag.

2. BlaBla Doll - This is Kai's snuggly sleeping buddy. He has a small one; it is adorable, just the perfect size and has gone through the wash many times over already.

3. Fuzzi Bunz - Even Ben can use these easily and he was really skeptical about cloth diapers at first! They wash up great and are not complicated at all.

4. Ergo - I've already posted on how much I love this, but just to reiterate.. I LOVE THIS CARRIER! The little guy falls alseep so easily and it has become our mode of calming & comfort for him when he has his cranky moments - and it always works.. Yesterday we went to check out the new Hindu Temple in Lilburn and he was asleep in about 5.4 minutes after being taken out of his car seat.

5. Rings, Strings, and Cords.. These are his 3 favorite toys.. He is moving beyond the rings now, but the strings and cords... I can't keep him away from them.

6. Mirror on the back seat - my boy loves to look at himself. He can keep himself entertained for an entire car ride to Target and I can check on him when he gets too quiet..

7. Super Baby Food - This book gives you everything you need to know about feeding your baby (well) and kids in a simple, reference style way. I love it - thanks Sarah!

8. Onsies - Really, no explanation or link necessary.. Kai is pretty much either wearing just a diaper (soo cute!) or in one of these this summer. Love the ones with a collar and little shorts.

9. Bouncy Seat - He has pretty much outgrown this now, but it got a ton of use.. It was the only way I could take a shower the first few months home! :) Thanks Val!

10. Garage Sales & Craigslist! I love getting a good deal and I hate paying a ton for something that doesn't get used to its full potential - so 2nd life clothing, toys & supplies are a perfect match for me.

Honorable Mention: My Hubby definitely should be on the Top Ten.. I don't know how you hot single Mommas do it! Sometimes at the end of the day I can't wait for him to walk through the door just so I can have a few minutes of down time.. I have SO much respect for you ladies!

How about you? Christina? Heather? Laura? Cathy? whoever else is out there reading, what am I missing out on ??

H. Kihara and O.J. Eigst

2008-06-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

Today I am very thankful to these two men b/c in 1948 they worked together to eventually perfect the Seedless Watermelon.

All Eyes on Me

2008-06-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe I just have a better attitude about it since posting - thanks for the encouragement Erin, Leah and Lauren, I think I needed to write to let it go.. I felt like I was so serious in trying to get him to look at me that he was avoiding me on purpose, so I just started playing his game & today it works! I tried being very exaggerated in looking away from him, virtually everywhere but on him and then I would look at him really quickly and surprise him. He starts laughing and isn't eating to well b/c he is concentrating on me, but I'll take what I can get :)

Vulnerable

2008-06-25T05:08:00.000-07:00

Transitioning to mommy-hood is going great, mostly.. I am sure my struggles are probably typical of all moms & dads, ... We are still having bed time issues - like last night.. I went to a Bikram class (will post on that later) and Ben was on duty solo.. He got Kai into bed at 6:30, which seems really early, but still he was so tired he cried on and off until well past when I got home at 8:30.. Ben was exhausted and in a snippy mood from trying to get Kai to sleep for 2 hours. Sometimes he eats, sometimes he doesn't.. sometimes he poops, sometimes he doesn't.. All in all I would say he is a pretty easy baby, but there is one thing that really bothers me..

He won't look at me..

Well, that is not entirely true, he does look at me sometimes, he just won't look at me when I am giving him a bottle. Sitting in his chair eating, sure. When I call his name, yup. I walk into his room to get him from a nap, definitely. When we are sitting taking a bottle, no way. The sleeping thing I know we will get through, whatever, but this.. this hurts.. I try talking to him, redirecting his head, repositioning, pulling out the nipple to get his attention, nothing works.. It's like he knows what I want and refuses. Which I know isn't true, but it feels that way!

?Suggestions from anyone who has gone through this??

First Haircut

2008-06-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

Kai's hair was getting close to being out of control, so we decided to give him a little pep talk today and break out the clippers. He did remarkably well, was not bothered at all by the buzzing sound and was fascinated with the cord, which kept him occupied the entire time.
Here is the pep talk..

and the first swipe..

and the results!

His eyes look larger now and even more magical..
in this photo his hair looks practically non-existent, but it is there, promise.
Dang my boy is cute!

He's a swinger

2008-06-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

So I heard this park by our house got new swings for little ones and thought we'd give it a try. Obviously it is still w-a-y to big for little Kai, but he seemed to enjoy it anyway, despite hitting his forehead on every forward movement. We resorted to the big swing with Mommy and that worked just fine, sometimes safety just has to go out the window for the sake of fun.

Word to the Ergo

2008-06-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

Why on earth did I wait so long to bring one of these home?

I LOVE IT!
I have been using a Bjorn for the last 3 months, which really came in handy and convinced me that I am a carrying type of mom.. but now that Kai weighs more than 12 lbs (we're up to 17!) it really does a number on my shoulders and back. I can't wear it for longer than 15 minutes without getting all kinked up. So I debated with myself and hemmed and hawed over the high price tag, over the color, should I order online or hunt one down locally.. I was just stalling and finally couldn't delay anymore. I went to a local shop, they gave me a discount and I walked out a very happy customer. My immediate next stop was Whole Foods and I already couldn't wait to try it out.. Slapped it on in a jiffy and 20 minutes of shopping later, Kai was comfy, asleep and I got to enjoy a leisurely hour long shopping trip - HA! It was so worth the $85 just for that!

For the Grandparents

2008-06-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

This week Kai made a HUGE stride in mobility, check it out!

Happy Birthday Bud!

2008-06-06T08:50:00.001-07:00

When we first got Norman he looked like this:
Now, at 3 years old, he looks something like this:

To those of you who love your dogs, give them a treat for Norman's birthday! Sometime this weekend we'll take him to Bruster's for his free doggy ice cream :)

Kai's Big Day

2008-06-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

Kai had a few firsts today that I am sure many want to know about :). First was his dedication at a BBQ with our small group from church, casual and just our style. We feel such a sense of responsibility for this little person and know that we certainly cannot do this alone.. We are so grateful for the many different communities of friends that we have made over the years, and realize that this particular group of people is a special one, we all have the common goal of decreasing ourselves so that God will increase in us. My most difficult task in life.. decreasing the self. And not only do I need help with that, but now in raising our son I hope that we will be surrounded by people who will be able to guide us, laugh & cry with us and give us a loving tap on the shoulder when we are missing something. I am also so grateful for the EtAdoptGA group here in Atl.. We need you all and I miss you very much. Maybe I should plan the next gathering :)

This was his other first.. Do you see it? On his adorable bottom lip? Yup, he bonked his head hard enough to draw blood! He has started to crawl forward (he was stuck in reverse for the last month) but he is still not very confident in his stride.. Apparently he was up on his hands and knees and all of a sudden his arms just gave out and his face went straight down, all 5inches of the distance to the floor.. Oh the cries, my heart just hurts thinking about it.. It was only a drop or two of blood, but the tears and the snot.. I couldn't help myself and grabbed him away from Ben to comfort him.. sorry about that Benny.. you are a good comforter too.. it was me, I just needed to hold our little baby..

3 Months Home

2008-05-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

I know everyone always says it, but I can't believe how quickly these last few months have gone. & I am exhausted.. Sorry I haven't posted more often, I don't have a good excuse, just nothing particularly interesting.. wake up, change diaper, feed baby, make coffee, play, nap, (try to shower), run errands, think about dinner, eat, say hi to Norman {dog} - what, you need a walk?, comfort screaming banshee, Ben's home & whoops I forgot dinner, dishes, make more bottles, and bed.. that is about it these days.. I am enjoying it, but considering I am home most of the day I am wiped out.. I am so grateful that Kai sleeps until 8am everyday!

He is getting bigger, we have his 9 month check up in a few weeks, hoping he's gained a ton. He is doing really well with his eating and to make mommy proud he loves his green veggies the most! He is not so fond of fruit actually, would much prefer broccoli :)

Enjoy!

Whirlwind

2008-05-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

What a great trip! Kai had his first beach experience & it happened that the water was pretty rough the day we went, so the crashing surf scared him a bit. He loved the sand though and tried to eat it by the fist full.

A few of my favorite girls, I am so glad I got to see them. Q & E we miss you already!

This is Broad in a bag.. She is Ben's brother's feisty psycho cat. We are not really cat people, but I always give them a chance at least.. This one got in a few chances to take swipes at me, hiss at Ben and stalk us both before she was put in her place..

Kai got to meet his Great-Grammy, Poppa, and tons of Uncles, Great Aunts and Uncles, Friends and other loved ones. We got to spend the time with friends and family that was long overdue, and we got to celebrate Tim for his 30th!!
We love you Tim!

Heading South

2008-05-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

After my last post we (well.. Ben mostly) made a lot of progress on the floors and they look awesome. I think I may really start to like our house now! I appreciate the house, but it has 0 character and this change is helping my attitude, which needs a lot of adjusting lately to be honest. I have felt a bit nostalgic lately as we are heading to SoFL tomorrow and these new floors remind me of those in our last house in Delray Beach. It was our first house, full of charm in every last inch of its 900 sqft. We loved the little bungalow and that house helped me to finally enjoy the area I had lived in since I was 12. All through my years living in Boca I just couldn't wait to get out. It is a beautiful city, full of privilege and I had a strong love/hate relationship with the town. Then, we moved to Delray.. the town just to the north of where I grew up and a whole world away in attitude and opinion. Delray is just lovely, leisurely, has history and a bit of spunk. They have an awesome cheesy Easter bonnet pet parade, walkable neighborhood streets, some of the best restaurants around, and the catamarans are parked on the beach all year. We can't wait to go down for a few days, see family & friends, enjoy the beach and celebrate Ben's brother's 30th birthday. Then it will be back to work as soon as we return, to finish the floors that will help me love this house, as a house has helped me love where my roots are. Change is always good for me, I just wonder what is around the corner.. feeling unsettled/anxious lately.

Update..

2008-05-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

Well, this project is taking waaaay longer than I anticipated.. Poor Ben is working so hard, blisters on all his fingers and we still have a really long way to go.. The new flooring going down will hopefully be easier, but the old flooring is fighting with all its might not to come up. So, not really a happy post yet, just to say hello and let you all know we still don't have computer access.. or TV.. so we missed Lost :(.. and now sleeping/breathing is getting difficult in the house b/c of the concrete and old glue, so I think we will start sleeping at my brothers house.. at least me and the baby will.. oye vey.. wish I could be happier at this point! If anyone wants to come help remove old wood flooring, we'll buy lunch! :)

Because a 7 month old isn't enough to keep us busy

2008-04-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

This is what we are doing this weekend.. Is it strange that we are actually excited about it?
I'll probably be off-line for a few days now, will post when the floors are done!

A few firsts

2008-04-24T04:41:00.000-07:00

Ben gave Kai asparagus for the first time last night and this morning he kept talking about how bad his pee smelled.. If that is the price we pay for having a kid that will eat asparagus without a fuss, I'll take it! Kai has not really turned away from any of the foods we have offered so far, although I am sure it is just around the corner. He doesn't seem to be too fond of bananas (?what!?), but will eat them fine mixed into his cereal and he doesn't quite know what to do with anything hard like a cheerio or a teething biscuit.. He puts on a look of confusion and just spits it out, like this:

Our green bean monster

Life will never be the same.. & I'm so glad..
{in love}

58 minutes left of my birthday!

2008-04-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would give an update of my fabulous birthday. Kai did eventually stop screaming.. but was pretty cranky all day actually.. which is not normal for him.. teathing maybe? constipated? something sure was up, but hopefully we'll get back to being the happiest baby on the block tomorrow.

I never did get through my yoga time, didn't read, go to lunch with Kelly or nap, but we have plans for lunch tomorrow, and I will read at least a little bit I promise.. I did however get my vehicle tags (nothing like the last minute!) had a fabulous dinner with Ben AND had 3 {yes - three!} cupcakes.. I also did get something I've been wanting for years, and no, it's not the zit.. I'm in my 30's for goodness sake - will they ever go away?

Today I am 32

2008-04-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

Yippeee! It's my birthday :)
Ben made me these fabulous Chocolate Carrot cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting..
um, yummo.

Today I want to :read: :do yoga: :nap: :go out to dinner with Benny: :go out to lunch with Kelly: :eat cupcakes: :try to pretend Kai is not the screaming banshee upstairs:

So far I have:
- started a 30 minutes session of yoga 2 hours ago.. I am 20 minutes through..
- eaten a cupcake.. and about to go back for #2 to block out the screaming banshee

Special Deliveries

2008-04-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

Kai received four fabulous books today from Amazon from a mystery giver! Eric Carle/Sandra Boynton and more.. If you are the one who sent the books - PLEASE let me know so I can properly thank you. There was no packing slip in the box and Amazon can't help me..

We also received a book from Toys R Us about a month ago that was not meant for us, (Psycho-Cybernetics anyone?) but when I called them they couldn't help me either.. So someone may have also sent us something from Toys R Us that never got here.. oye vey..

Mystery gift givers please make yourself known! I really do want to thank you :)

**Update: the givers have been found!! Thank you!

Adorable

2008-04-15T07:02:00.001-07:00

Don't you just want to eat him up?
and no, HAHaHA, Ben did not knit this hat.. although he probably could, b/c he is an awesome knitter.. we got it at the Children's Place.

Yoga

2008-04-10T05:44:00.000-07:00

Seven or eight years ago {wow, really?} I went to my first Yoga class which was held at a local middle school as part of the community night courses. I think I paid $40 for 6-8 weeks of classes which were held in the library, all the tables and chairs pushed out of the way, stacked on top of each other, sometimes with people between the book isles. The class was packed & I was hooked. I would go home and practice my balance poses and I could feel my body getting stronger, more flexible and amazingly, I felt more calm in everyday life.. it was probably all that breathing the teacher made us do. :) My practice has definitely ebbed and flowed over the years, taking classes off and on, mostly when I can find a community course to sign up for. I even made Ben take one with me when we were first married.. I also made him take a dance class.. he really does love me :)

Anyway, my problem is that I don't understand why I can join a gym for $30-40 p/month and yet if I want to take a yoga class from a studio in my area it costs $18 and up! PER Class! So, if I want to go once a week it costs significantly more than my unlimited Gold's membership. Argh. I do understand that going to a dedicated studio will give me access to much better teachers and will advance my personal practice which is exactly what I want, but I just can't afford it.

There are a few centers out there (NY & So CA) that are community based and charge a donation of $10 p/class. I wonder if changing up the concept a little more and just charging a monthly fee for unlimited use, like a gym, would actually work? Why can't it be both a drop in fee of $10 p/class for those who only want to go a few times a month or don't like to commit to anything AND offer a monthly unlimited for like $50.. even $60 would be a bargain compared to what is currently available, but I still think too expensive. My understanding of yoga is that it is to help bring peace to all who practice, teach kindness, humility, charity and recognizing the Devine in each of us. Why is it priced so that only the rich can afford to learn? Why is it not available to everyone? It doesn't take anything but a mat and a teacher.. really, not even the mat is necessary.. just the right attitude I suppose.. and a teacher..

Is anyone interested in learning yoga anyway? Maybe it is just me.. I would need members to fund my little dream studio.. ?volunteers?

Namaste

He slept ALL night!

2008-04-08T06:38:00.000-07:00

So Kai has been sleeping through the night technically I suppose.. he can go about 7 hours usually and I think that is considered "sleeping through".. But, we are still waking him at 10pm and at 5am to feed him, which is on our schedule, but it doesn't seem like sleeping through to me.. and liquid cereal is considered a solid, which doesn't make sense either, but whatever.. Anyway, he went to bed kind of late last night, woke about 12:30am to fuss for a few minutes, put himself back to sleep and didn't wake up until 8! YIPEEEEE! We decided not to wake him at 5, just to see what would happen and I still can't believe it :) & he woke up happy, which is pretty much in my top 5 favorite things in life so far..

It's Festival Season!

2008-04-08T05:58:00.000-07:00

I just love to go to outdoor festivals. I love finding new ideas in local art, the people watching is always great and just strolling with my hubby in the sun makes it perfect. Last fall Ben got me my first turquoise necklace, several years ago in Miami we bought a piece of art by Jonathan Blum similar to this one..kind of.. and I recently made a diaper bag after being inspired at a Piedmont Park show, can't remember her name, but would surely give her props - very creative.
The next show we will be at is the Inman Park Festival the end of April. Inman Park is a fabulous neighborhood in town and they do a tour of homes as part of the weekend, we can't wait!

Ridiculitis #2 & 3

2008-04-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

These two scenarios just happened minutes apart.

#1
Preface: I am the one in our relationship who throws things out. I do not like junk, clutter, maybe-one-day-I'll-need-it stuff. Ben hangs on forever and ever and ever and we are constantly battling over this. Here in our conversation ensues in the kitchen as we are baking a cake together, awww.

Me: So we need to get new batteries for the camera, right? Yesterday I threw out the dead ones that were in the camera and I tried the ones in the cupboard, but they were dead too.
Why were there dead batteries in the cupboard? Why didn't you just throw them out?

Ben: I thought maybe they just needed to rest for a while.

WHAT?

#2
As we are working on the delicious chocolate hazelnut cake {yum} we get to where we have to fold the chocolate into the egg whites. Folding in seems almost impossible to me with only one person b/c how in the world do you slowly add the chocolate while you are folding with the other hand? I am just not that co-ordinated :) So Ben ends up folding while I hold our really heavy pan in my weak left hand & scrape with my right.. It is getting REALLY heavy and I say we should switch jobs b/c it REALLY hurts now. He says "well, I think you should be the one to hold the pan b/c you are the one who goes to the gym. And, I just finished folding the laundry so I have recently had practice folding and I am very good at it." a few minutes later.. "I am also very gentle and this is a very del-i-cate job"

Uh huh.
love you honey, my delicate hubby.

Hike up your Skirt!

2008-03-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

Have any of you Atlantans ever picked up the free skirt! magazine? I love browsing through it and picked up the March copy yesterday at my local Whole Foods. This is the cover art, by Penelope Dullaghan. The mag is fresh, edgy (read: sometimes offensive, which I enjoy, I think it is good to be reminded that not everyone agrees with me) and it is all about women. There are so many remarkable women in our area who are doing amazing things with their time, talent and money, and I just like learning about them.

For example: Here is a fabulous web site that sells affordable originals by budding artists: 20x200

And there was an article called "Gently Used" written by a SAHM who previously had quite the writing career. She has come to love her new position, finding in it more purpose than anything she had done prior, but missing certain aspects of her old life before kids. Women deal with challenges such as this that most men never face... I think it is because we are the stronger, wiser and more discerning of the species - we generally have an "I can do it all" attitude where most men are singly focused :). I consider it an honor to now be home with Kai, but also know that God is brewing up something in me that is bigger than I ever thought possible.. I am woman, hear me roar.

A good groove

2008-03-25T12:32:00.001-07:00

People have been asking how it is going & now that we have been home almost a month (!) I must say, things could not be better. I am loving parenting with Ben, just being a mom and Kai is such a dream baby that I feel like I have to pinch myself and wake up to the real mommyhood soon. We continue to deal with some sleep anxiety, and the FOMS syndrome is still hanging around, but last night we had a major breakthrough!
I decided that even though we are on a schedule, eat every 4 hours and going through an eat, play, sleep cycle, I still felt like I was at his mercy at night.. he has been waking me up twice a night and for those who know me, I like my sleep. I fully understood and accepted when we signed up for this that there would be less sleep and that it would often be disturbed, but according to my mommy friends and "the books", by almost 7 months old he should be sleeping longer than a 5 hour stint without eating! and Yes, before you ask, the night bottle is with cereal and we have recently started solids 2x's a day now, which I think was part of the problem - I just wasn't filling him up enough during the day, poor guy.. So, anyway, to make myself feel a little more in control I decided that we would wake him to feed him before we go to bed and then hope that he would last until Ben rises at 5:15am to wake and feed him again - On our time, not his! and it worked great - last night at least :). I feel so much more in control already!! and his naps are getting longer, he is going down easier, I can tell when he is hungry, tired or just cranky and needs to laugh. He is responding so well to our voices, reaching for us and looking for us in a crowded room.. He and Norman are good buddies, no fear or apprehension from Kai and respect and curiosity from Norm. Norm does try to sneak in a cuddle now and then, which I am not usually ok with b/c Norm curls up half on top of Kai instead of next to him, but there you go..

We are all in Love.

Into the Wild

2008-03-22T20:50:00.000-07:00

We just finished watching this movie and along the way, the munchkin decided that not only was he not tired, but he was going to make sure we knew it.. many times over.. So, here we are, 11:52pm.. and hey, it's time for another bottle - lets hope this time it helps him sleep.

The movie was an excellent evening spent. Just a few minutes in and it all came flooding back to me from the book that I originally read shortly after college, only a few years after the events actually occurred. I definitely recommend both, the book first of course.. :)

Our son is screaming happy screams, while hubby is exhausted.. & why is he wide awake at now 12:08am?? only Gods knows!

Happy Easter,
va

One of the many from the weekend

2008-03-17T13:22:00.001-07:00

I have THE best in-laws ever

2008-03-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

Let's have an I do(person #1 - me), No, I do(person #2 - you), No wait I do(person #3) contest!

My in-laws are THE best b/c:
They were so looking forward to meeting Kai that as soon as we gave them the go-ahead and book we're ready for visitors call, they hopped on pretty much the first Spirit Air deal they could find... and boy were they excited. I got random phone calls from old friends who have run into Mom-in-law over the last few weeks just to tell me how excited she was. She's thrilled to be a Grammy for the first time, she is excited about Kai, excited about Ethiopia, excited about all that God has done through the process and just bubbling over. Dad-in-law is pretty psyched too.. don't want to leave him out.. He bought a new camera for the trip up and was shooting pics constantly.. So cute :)
We had a great visit over the last few days and through the running around and random naps, Kai was a super trooper. So at least for now, he is pretty much perfect in their sight.

New Shoes

2008-03-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

It is a rare thing these days for me to get new shoes, so I am understandably excited. I think my last new pair were the foxy black boots Mom-in-Law got me 2 Christmases ago.. No, wait, I bought shower shoe flip flops from the dollar bin at Target before the trip to Et, does that count? I am even more excited b/c these are my first ever scull purchase, they are really comfy, which has skyrocketed in importance lately and hubby likes them (read: he has great taste). The best part is that even though I am way too old for them.. I don't care..b/c they look great with jeans & a T-shirt.

We're SO spoiled!!

2008-03-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

Ben returned to work today and his coworkers gave us a huge shower! There were so many people there and so many wonderful presents ~ Kai is definitely set for a while now & he was such a trooper! This was his first interaction with that many people who all wanted to love on him. He had many hugs and kisses and was great being passed around from lap to lap, as long as he could keep an eye on mom & dad. It is such a wonderful feeling to have him looking for us, recognizing our voices and reaching out for us.. awww... my little sonshine :)

Thank you Plaid!

First Dr. Visit

2008-03-07T09:22:00.001-08:00

All I can say is: WOW!

2008-03-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

I have had so many !WOW! moments in the last few weeks, here are just a few highlights:

~To all who have called, sent texts, left comments, sent cards/gifts/hand-me-downs, stopped by, prayed and just ewed and ahhed, we are so very grateful. Family, friends & neighbors, you have all blown us away with the generosity and love thrown our way recently. THANK YOU!!!

~Kai - he is just amazing.. We are all still adjusting to a schedule, each other and to less sleep :) but this little boy is a champ. He is sleeping better each night (almost) and has laughed and cooed his way into the depths of our hearts. He responds to our voices, is reaching out for us and seems to be attaching really well. He had his first Dr. visit the other day and had to give up 5 vials of blood.. that was rough for all 4 of us (Wesley the awesome Hematologist included) but we got through it :). The only thing that came back in the tests is that he has F.O.M.S. - Fear of Missing Something.. He always has to know what is going on, doesn't nap more than 30 minutes and is happiest just watching everyone buzzing around him. He also definitely has a special connection to Ben and that leads to my next !wow!...

~Ben is THE biggest stud of a husband and father. We all knew he would be a great dad, but so far, he is the shining star in this new family. He is a natural, and Kai knows it. Ben is the one who can soothe him, get him to sleep out of a wailing fit and make him laugh from nothing. I keep saying in jest to Ben that he needs to be the stay-at-home parent.. :)

~The trip.. I don't know that I will ever really post much of a summary about it beyond this, to be honest. As many have told me from reading the posts, it is easy to tell that it was one of the most emotional weeks of our lives. We walked away with a sense of honor and blessing of being given the opportunity to spend some time in Ethiopia, learning about the people, history and culture.. To to have the weight, responsibility and humility of being able to bring home a child as our own, to have 7 other fabulous families to share the experience with, to know fully that Ethiopia is so much more than what you saw on TV in the 80's.. There is a deep pride in the people of their heritage & history, coupled intimately with the desperation of wanting to make changes, experience economic growth and to be able to trust their government.. Education is important to them, but the opportunity in country is limited..so, many leave.. How can we help those who are educated to be able to stay? That is where I am stuck.. the problem is so much larger than "poverty" or HIV or lack of water and schools.. those are only part of it.. As I posted last week.. I am so grateful that I was born in the "land of opportunity".. even if just for the fact of opportunity...

Love to all!
gin

We're home!

2008-03-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!
It's good to be back.
Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments to the blog during our adventure!
Although we could not read them while in Ethiopia(blogger sites are off limits in Ethiopia), it was really nice to come home and see all the support and prayers that we were receiving while there...we could feel it!
I'm sure Virginia will get on here in the coming days and post a more comprehensive review of the trip, there's just so much to say and so many emotions involved, and we're in no shape right now to get into it all.

For now, enjoy these photos of our beautiful baby boy Malakai Musse Bubar (middle name pronouced Moo-Say)

Ben

On the Way Home!

2008-02-28T05:54:00.001-08:00

We are just a few short hours away from heading to the airport! We soon head to the office to pick up Musse's passport & visa, have a little dinner - then we're off! It is funny to say, but we are a little torn about leaving.. The people here are just fabulous, both the other families in our travel group and those who live here. We finally feel like we got into the groove of Addis a few days ago and have really come to appreciate it as a fabulous place. The growth/development that is happening is at a sprint speed - we have seen noticable progress on a few construction sites near the house, new roads have opened and others are nearing the paving stage.. in just over a week. We have enjoyed some delicious food(!), experienced the art of the coffee ceremony and felt the rythm of the traffic. I learned to make injera, mesir wot, shiro wot and a few other dishes and can't wait to try myself at home!

Hope you all have enjoyed reading; we are exhausted, but thrilled, are looking forward to our own bed and a hot shower and most of all, can't wait for you to meet Malakai Musse.

Love to all,

gin

Flight info

2008-02-27T21:25:00.001-08:00

Ok, here's our flight info.....

Arriving in ATL on Delta flight 1673 from Dulles on Friday at 12:40pm

Just in case anyone was wondering.

Cant beleive today is the last day, once we got the kids...time just flew by!

Ben

What a Great Day!

2008-02-26T07:05:00.001-08:00

Hi All!

Well, after a sleepless night we had a wonderful day. We went this morning to the care center for the goodbye ceremony and to finally take the kids with us permanently. Then we had the embassy appointment this afternoon, which couldn't have gone better! We were at the window for about 2 minutes and that was it - he's got a visa. Now we have just been back at the guest house eating dinner and just playing with all the kids.. Kai is a dream. He napped a little, ate a little and is as content as a bug in a rug. He loves the Bjorn (thanks Val!) and at this point really is THE perfect baby.. now lets see how our first night with him goes :)

So glad we are over the hump of all the legalities and this boy is not only ours on paper, but ours in our hearts.

Love to all, can't wait for you to meet Musse!

Gin

Middle of the Night Update

2008-02-25T17:05:00.001-08:00

Hello All!
Virginia here, 2:30am Ethiopia time and I am wide awake for some reason.. Have been sleeping ok actually, not great, but ok & tonight I think the stuffy nose/sore throat finally got to me. The air here is so dry that I have had a mild bloody nose most days and so dirty that along with the blood is dirt black as night. Besides that, the weather is about perfect, high 70's mid day and chilly at night and the am.. 13 months of sunshine they claim, and I believe it.

This has been such an emotionally exhausting trip for all. Heather, you were right when you said your travel group was important, ours has been amazing. Get ready Erin! The other American families we are traveling with are incredible, and to have them experiencing the same with us is so comforting.

Meeting Musse's (He isn't quite Kai yet) mom on Sunday was simply unexplainable.. All I can really say about it is that she loves him more than I do right now, it was the hardest decision of her life and she knew exactly what she was doing. She is so strong and intelligent and why I was born into privilege in America and she was born into poverty in the forgotten but beautiful land of Ethiopia I will have to ask God, b/c only He knows.. The faith in God that she has is humbling, there is much I could learn from her.

Musse is absolutely beautiful and we are falling more in love every moment we spend with him. Tomorrow am is the goodbye ceremony at the Care Center and we will have him full time from then on - eeeek! We head to the US Embassy after lunch to get his visa.. The visa most Ethiopians would do anything for.. The guide that we had our first few days in country is putting his hope in the lottery system, and you know what, honestly, he would contribute much more to our society than I do, but he will most likely never get the opportunity. He is everything you would want in a friend, neighbor, brother and more. The people here are absolutely beautiful, the kindest and happiest I have ever met.. I just wish for them that their opportunities matched their hearts and hard work.

We went to Ahope today (monday)... The comparison between the care Musse is getting and the conditions at Ahope are in stark contrast. CHSFS is a wealthy organization here (& doing many wonderful things in the community), Ahope is surviving, just like the kids that come to them. Moms, this is where your donations went, I think you would have made the same decision, it was more heartbreaking than anything we have seen.. and it was nothing that money wouldn't solve. Thankfully, the WHO is providing all the ARV's (anti-retro vials) needed to keep their HIV+ status under control and besides some skin conditions, most are healthy and happy and those kids were just beautiful. This organization is doing much with their very little, trying first to keep kids with their families, providing the drug cocktails they need and feeding/clothing/schooling them. They take in the abandoned found by the police, never turning one away (about 75 kids right now).. the women who work here are saints, they must be. And if anyone is looking to sponsor a child or for an organization to give to, please check out AHope..

I'm going to try to go back to sleep now, love to all, sorry so melancholy.. that's why Ben's been posting most of the trip.. I just haven't really been up for it.. This is such a hard journey - thanks to all who have been there for us!

Kiss your kids and your spouses, and then kiss the ground and thank God you are an American. Africa is a wonderful place, everyone needs to come here in their lifetime. The people are hopeful, happy and grateful, but we are abundantly blessed, specifically with opportunities those here will never have.. and me, I often forget that.

Love much, Gin

Sunday-The trip down south

2008-02-24T07:23:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone!

Wow, where do I even start?

Today was INTENSE!!!

We got to meet Kai's birth mother and we are both physically and emotionally drained!!!

After a 3-4 hour drive, breathing in dust and diesel exhaust the whole way down(I think I have the black lung), we finally arrived in Hossana(i dont think i spelled that right).

We all sat down in a room and waited for our turn, Gin and I ended up being called first.

We walked into this small concrete block room, no larger than 12x12, and as we walked in, Musse's birth mom was walking in at the same time. You'll see in the pictures later on that she is a quite short, she maybe comes up to my should...maybe.

It was so emotional from that point on that it'll be hard to communicate that via email/post.

I'll try and hit a few of the highlights:

She named him after Musse(Moses) from the Bible.

She was very concerned that we would raise him up to love God.

Both her parents are/were Orthodox Christians, she is a Christian but not Orthodox, I would love to know more about that story but the translation was a bit difficult, especially when discussing denominations.

We had her write a note to Musse in our notebook, so precious!

I had put together some pictures of him from the last update we got before we left to give to her. I kinda saved them until the end and she saw it she immediately kissed the photos over and over...not a dry eye in the room, heavy stuff!

Other than that, we had asked a number of other questions and she was so good about answering everything.

We left confident that she was happy with Musse's new family.

I'll leave you with this last note:

We asked her if she had any dreams for him when he grows up, she said she would like to see him become a doctor.

So, here we are, completely exhausted, but tomorrow is a new day. The first half of tomorrow we are bringing the kids back to the guest house and will spend that time with them here. We're all looking forward to that! Should be a great time.

Ok, I'm off to bed, and it's only 6:30pm.

Until next time,

all of our love,

Ben

Saturday Update

2008-02-23T02:31:00.001-08:00

Salem! (That's "Hello" in Amharic)

Things are going very well here.

Today we met with Musse's Doctor, Nurses, Head Nanny, and Social Worker. We got to ask questions and they gave us all of his med. info. It was a great meeting, you could tell from their faces that they all love him very much and will be sad to see him go.

We spent the rest of the morning with Kai, we got to the care center just as he was eating, he napped in Gin's arms for about 30 minutes and then woke to his usual happy self. He's such a joy to be around!

We've just finished lunch and we have scheduled to do some shopping this afternoon, then later tonight we will have dinner and a show at the Crown Hotel.

Tomorrow is the big trip south to the Hosana region where we will meet his birth mother, we are so excited about this!!! It will be a long day so we may not have an update until Monday. It's a 4 hr. drive each way.

Ok, time to share the connection :)

Love,

Ben

ps. love the food at the guest house, they are taking very good care of us!

WOW!

2008-02-22T03:03:00.001-08:00

Hi all!

Ben has been updating the last few times, so I hope I am not duplicating.. I only have a few minutes until we head back to the care center to see Musse.. He is AMAZING! I can't wait for you all to meet him, you are just going to die! He is just so happy, content, healthy, easy, etc etc.. We just can't believe how blessed we are already. All the nannies just dote on him and you can tell they adore him. He laughs all the time for them, we are still working hard to get him there though :).. When we met him yesterday, it was just surreal.. Gotta go.. so sorry, more later. Love to all - Gin

The 1st meeting!!!

2008-02-21T08:06:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone,

Greetings from Addis Ababa!!!

I'll try and keep this short as the connection is dial-up and we share the computer with 3 buildings.

Today we arrived early at the CHSFS offices, just after noon. So all of the families from last week were still here, that was great, we got meet them and get lots of advice for the week ahead.

Alright enough about that, after hanging out at the guest house for a few hours we were taken to the care center where we met Musse(Kai) for the first time!!! We are so speechless at how beautiful he is, he's amazing. He didn't cry at all, laughed many times, and he finally fell asleep as I(Ben) was holding him...so precious! We cannot wait to see him tomorrow! You are not going to beleive how gorgeous his eyes are.....my gosh!!! He's perfect!

Can you tell we are in love?

The trip before we got to CHSFS was amazing, everyone has been sooooo nice, and willing to do anything for you.

No pictures for now, we're working on it though.

We'll post again soon, maybe tomorrow.........

Love to all,

Ben and Gin